Psychology in everyday life Chapter 2 (copy)

hormones

chemical messengers manufactured by endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

adrenal glands

pair of endocrine glands that sit above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

pituitary gland

most infleuential endocrine gland. Under infleuence of the hypothalamus, regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Brainstem

oldest and central core of brain, beginning where the spinal cord wells as enters skull, responsible for automatic survival functions

pons

above medulla, helps coordinate movements

somatosensory cortex

cerebral cortex area at front of parietal lobes, registers and processes, body, touch, and movement sensations

hallucination

false sensory experience; hearing something in the absence of external auditory stimulus

split brain

condition when the brain’s two hemispheres are isolated by cutting fibers connecting them

consciousness

awareness of ourselves and our environment

selective attention

focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

inattentional blindness

failure to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindness

failure to notice changes in the environment

circadian rhythm

internal biological clock, occur on 24 hour cycle

REM sleep (Rapid Eye movement)

recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur

alpha waves

relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

sleep

periodic, natural loss of consciousness

delta waves

large slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

Narcolepsy

sleep disorder in which person has uncontrollable sleep attacks

sleep apnea

a sleeping person repeatedly stops breathing until blood oxygen is so low it awakens a person long enough to draw breath

dream

sequences of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind

manifest content

according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream

latent content

according to freud, the underlying meaning of a dream

Cell body

the larger part of a neuron that is the cell’s life support center

Dendrites

neuron extensions that receive messages from other cells and conduct them towards the cell body (the listeners)

Terminal branches

send the message from one neuron to the other neurons dendrite

Myelin sheath

thick coat of material that surrounds and insulates the axon of some neurons

mirror neuron

frontal lobe neuron that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so.

Axon

Neuron extension that sends messages to other neurons or cells (the speaker)

Neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

Action potential

a nerve impulse

Synapse

junction between the axon tip of a sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of a receiving neuron

Threshold

level of stimulation required to trigger a nerve impulse

all-or-nothing response

a neuron’s reaction of firing or not firing

Neurotransmitter

neuron-produced chemicals that cross synapses to carry messages to carry other neurons or cells

Opiate

A chemical that depresses neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

Central Nervous system (CNS)

the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

The sensory and motor neurons connecting to the CNS to the rest of the body

Nerves

Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the CNS with muscles, glands and sense organs

Sensory neruons

Neuron that carries incoming information from the sensory receptors to the CNS

Motor neurons

Neuron that carries outgoing information from the CNS to the muscles and glands

Interneuron

Neuron that processes information between sensory inputs and motor outputs

Somatic Nervous System

PNS division controlling the body’s skeletal muscles

Autonomic Nervous System

PNS division controlling the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. Consisting of sympathetic and parasympathetic subdivisions

Sympathetic Nervous system

autonomic nervous system subdivision that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

Parasympathetic Nervous system

Autonomic nervous system subdivision that calms the body, conserving its energy

Endocrine system

The body’s slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, and affect other tissue

Thalamus

Area at the top of the brainstem; directs sensory messages to the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Reticular formation

Nerve network running through the brainstem and the thalamus; plays an important role in controlling arousal

Cerebellum

the little brain at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance

Limbic system

Neural system(including the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

Amygdala

two lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

Hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities. Helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland and is linked with emotion

Cerebral cortex

A thin layer of interconnected neurons, covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information processing center

frontal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in planning and making judgements

Parietal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; recieves sensory input for touch and body position.

Occipital lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields.

Temporal lobes

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes areas that receive information from the ears.

Motor Cortex

Cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobes controls voluntary movements

Sensory cortex

Cerebral cortex rea at the front of the parietal lobes; registers and processes body, touch and movement sensations

Corpus callosum

axon fibers connecting two cerebral hemispheres

Plasticity

the brain’s ability to change especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

Neurogenesis

formation of new neurons

reuptake

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

Acetylcholine

enables muscle action, learning and memory

Dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention and emotion

Serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal

norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

a major inhibitory transmitter

Glutamate

a major excitatory neurotransmitter, involved in memory

Endorphins

neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure

reflex

a simple, automatic response